Simulated golf game projector with falling head for striking a ball



Dec. 5, 1950 s. H. SEVERIN 2,532,646

SIMULATED GOLF GAME PROJECTOR WITH FALLING HEAD FOR smxme A BALL FiledSept. 2, 1949 FIG. 2 FlG.3

FIG.

FIG. 4

7 J Inven1or GORDON H. SEVERIN,

y Y Attorney Patented Dec. 5, 1950 UNITED (JFEFZIC E -.SIMULA'1=ED-.GOLF :GAME PROJECTOR WITH :FALLING HEAD .FOR SilTRlK-ING -A BALLGordon H. "Scverin, fiklahoma City, -()kla.

Application September 2, 1949, Seri'al'N0.113,694

'9 Claims. 1

This invention relatestov asimulated golf game, especially adapted, butnot limited, to indoor playing. .In-certain ofits .more specific aspectsthe invention pertains .to .a novel apparatus or club capable ofimparting a variety of lmotio-ns to a 'ball, depending on the skill ofthe player. The combination of -.club with hallis such that the varioustypes of strokes common .to golf can be simulated, including, forexample, -.drives, chip shots and putts.

Many types of indoor golf games .havebeen devised in which the objectis. to .move the ball from .one point .tocanother muchas'in theregulargame of outdoor golf. The various'kinds of apparatus employed in .place.of the conventional clubs have often sulfered fromoneor more defectswhich lessen theenjoyment tobe obtained by the players. .Thus, a.mechan'ically complicated or cumbersomeapparatus may beexpensiverdifiicult to use, .and easy to break or get out of adjustment.Most of thesimpler forms are too limited to .permit all of the desiredtypes of shots, so that the ball motion maybeexclusively ahorizontalroll, or exclusively a .pitch into the air. With certain forms of clubsheretofore devised it simple to give a'hard stroke to the ball butdiflicult to provide the controlled lighttap necessary for putting,while theoppiosite is true with other-types of clubs. "Too oftenso muchmechanical action isinterposed between'the motion offthe player and'themovement of the ball that exceptional sensitivity to and coordinationfor thistype of activity is required of the ,player-hencethe skillnecessary for an entertaining game is too difficult of achievement forthe average person.

An object of this: invention is to provide a'simulated golf game.

[Another object of the invention is to provide acombination of ball anddriving means adapted for. relative adjustment of jpos'ition .torallowvarious-v desired .motionsof the hall with respectto the driving .means.

.-A .further object is to provide -a "method of driving a ball in :anydesired -directio and :for any .desired distance.

:Yet another object is "to provide a ficlubfl =:f.or useiin anindoorrgolfigame, !Of exceptionally simple and inexpensiveaconstruction.

Another object 'o'f the invention is to -provide such a'lub having greatversatilityinthe character of-shots which can'bemadeby its use.

"Still another object is to provide means for imparting mo'tionto aballin 'anind'c'or-simulated olf :game i-whercby th :p'layer fiws .t eisai'dmotion through the intermediary of a single moving element.

Afurther object is topermit a player to control the direction anddistance of ball motion byhis choice of the relative position of drivingmeans and ball and/ or the initial elevation of agra'vitye moved elementof said driving means.

Further objects and advantages of the inven tiornwill'be apparentfrom'the accompanying disclosure and discussion.

The attached drawing, forming part of this disclosure, illustrates onepreferred embodiment of the invention. It is to be understood thatvariations from the precise form. and dimensions 5 shown in the drawingcan be'made'withoutg'oing beyond 'the'scope of the invention in itsbroader aspects.

Figure 1 is 'a'front elevation of the"c1ub with the sliding shooting"head approximately in the initial up position. Figure'Z is a frontelevation of the .club together with theball, with the shooting headshown in its path or downward travel towards .the'ball for a drivingshot, the motion of the head and the motion which the ball will takewhen struck by the head being indicated by arrows. FigureB is .a.detailed view of the driving head, in vertical cross-section. Figure "4isa view of a preferred form of cup into which the ball is to be shot.Figure 5 is detailed-view, in vertical-crcss-section, of another formofthe driving head having two bottom faces of difierent curvatures. Likeelements 'in the various figures are indicated by like referencenumerals.

In the drawing, numeral H) refers toan elongated sha'ft, preferablythough not necessarily cylindrical, and usually made of a polishedwooden dowel. Advantageously, though not necessarily, 'the'shaft is hasadiameter in the neighborhood of one-half inch, and in the preferredform --of the invention this is a 5; inch dowel having a length of 27%'inches 'exclusiveof'the ends which. are 'imbedded in the handle I2 andfloor button l i. Handle 1'2 is preferably a larger diameter dowel ofsuitable size for holding by the human hand. This may advantageously be6 inches long by inch diameter, and has a inch hole drilled axially inits lower portion into which the upper end of shaft 19 is securelyfastened. Onthe lower end of shaft in is'astop or floor button, suitablyor %'inch in diameter and inch high, and preferably made'by cutting 3button may be made integral with the shaft. The overall length of theclu is in the neighborhood of three feet, and the preferable form is 34inches, although it may be made longer or shorter to suit individualtaste.

Freely sliding on shaft IE is an annular shooting head is having acurved convex lower surface l8. The exact shape of this curved surfacemay be varied somewhat, so long as a smooth curve is used, but I havefound that a shape approximating a segment of a sphere, such as anessentially hemispherical surface, is usually best adapted to thepurpose. Thus, a flat surface at an angle of 45 degrees has been triedbut was not nearly as satisfactory as a curve. Ordinarily the lowermostportion of surface i8 is cut on a plane perpendicular to the axis toprovide a flat bottom 20 for impact on the floor button [4, the diameterof the resulting circular bottom 20 being slightly greater than thediameter of the hole through head 16, say inch. The vertical holethrough head 16 is just enough larger than shaft if! to allow freesliding movement thereon but without wobbling. The surface of said holeshould be polished for best results. The diameter of shooting head is atits plane of maximum width is preferably 2 inches, although this may besomewhat greater or smaller if desired. The overall height of slidinghead It in the preferred form is 1 inches, with the lower half having a1 inch vertical dimension and the upper half being inch tall.

The upper half 22 of shooting head l6 may be of any desired shape, butis preferably symmetrical at least with respect to a vertical planethrough the axis. The preferred form is as shown in the drawing, i. e.an axially symmetrical annular concave surface curving inwardly towardsthe center of the head !6 and corresponding to the surface generated byro ating about the vertical axis a line originating at the top edge ofthe lower hemisphere l8 and curving smoothly inwardly and upwardly to apoint a short distance outward from the central vertical hole throughthe sliding head It. It will be noted that the top 24 of the upper half22 of head [6 in the preferred embodiment shown in the drawing isessentially cylindrical with a flat horizontal top surface, and hasexactly the same diameter (1% inch) as handle l2. Thus when shootinghead I6 is in the raised position its top abuts the bottom of handle l2,and being of the same diameter at this point the head I6 can readily beheld stationary against the handle [2 by one finger, as will bediscussed in more detail hereinbelow. The edges of top 2 3 and bottom 20of head l6, bottom and top of handle [2, floor button 14, etc., may bechamferred for better appearance without impairing the utility of theseparts of the club. While wood is the preferred material of construction,other materials such as metal or plastic may be substituted for wood forpart or all of the components of the club.

The other principal elements of the game are the ball 26, shown inFigure 2, and the cups 28, one of which is shown in Figure 4. The ball Iprefer to use is a sphere about 1 inches in diameter, hollow, made of athin resilient plastic material such as Celluloid or its equivalent, andhas a smooth surface. The halls commonly used in. playing ping-pong ortable tennis are eminently suitable for use with the club having thepreferred construction and dimensions just discussed. This type of ballhas sufiicient elasticity to provide a lively game, and is moreeffective in making chip shots than heavier and/or essentiallnon-elastic balls. Its smooth surface makes for uniformity of action fora given impact with the shooting head [6. Such balls with consistentluniform characteristics are readily available commercially. It is to beunderstood, however, that the invention includes the combination of theclub with any other type of ball, such as wood, metal, solid plastic, orthe like.

Figure 4 shows one form of floor-ring employed as the cup 28 into whichhe ball is to be shot in as few strokes as possible. The form of the cupmay vary widely, and many types have been used heretofore in differentsimulated golf games. The type shown in Figure 4 is a collar or ring ina simple frusto-conical form. This is readily made in a die-press of asingle piece of light sheet metal, say 0.010 inch thick (30-32 gauge)tin plated steel or 0.015 inch aluminum sheet. The size and dimensionsshould be such as to allow the ball to roll up into the cup easily yetroll off unless the opening is directly in the line of shot. I havefound a desirable form to be 5 /2 inches outside diameter, 3% inchesinside diameter, with the total height (height of the edge of the centerhole) being inch. A numeral may be painted, stamped, or otherwise placedon each cup to indicate the number of the hole. A set of nine cups, orputting rings, numbered from 1 to 9 inclusive, is suitable for settingup the game for indoor play.

Figure 5 shows a modified driving head l6, provided with two bottomfaces 28 and 30 of different curvatures.

Any set of rules for playing the game may be drawn up to suit theplayers desires. Ordinarily the game is played essentially the same asregular golf. The course usually is laid out indoors, the putting ringsbeing located in various rooms. Different pieces of furniture are arranged, together with any other desired objects, to act as hazards.Preferably all putting rings are placed on rugs to act as greens. Nineholes may be placed, and played first in one direction and then in theopposite direction for an 18-hole course. Any number of players mayparticipate. Of course the object is to move the ball from start tofinish with the smallest possible number of strokes. Boundaries may beestablished, and if the ball goes outside same it may be placed on theboundary line for re-play with a one-stroke penalty. 1

The club and ball are used together as follows: For a drive, the clubtip (floor button 14) is placed behind the ball 26, and the driving headI6 is held in the up position against the bottom of handle I 2. dependon the nearness of the club tip to the ball, and the angle which theclub makes with the floor. If desired, the height from which drivinghead [5 is released may also be varied in order to affect the force withwhich the ball is struck. When the player is set he releases the drivinghead I 6 which, accelerated by gravity, slides downward on shaft l0.This slide can be essentially a free fall if the club is perfectlyvertical. Impact of head IS with the ball 26 drives the latter acrossthe floor in a direction away from the club. A stroke is counted eachtime the head is dropped for hitting the ball, even if the ball shouldbe missed entirely. One of the most effective methods of operating theclub is to place the forefinger (of the hand holding the handle)laterally across both-the bottom edge of handle I; and the tgp edge ofhead IE to hold the latter The distance the ball is driven will firmlyagainst the former, and then release the finger for the shot. "It is forthis reason that I prefer "-the diameter of these two edges to beessentially the same, as described hereinbefore. If the shaft of theclub is caused to lean forward across the ballzat ian angle of say 20 to'40 degrees from the vertical, the ball on impact iselevated through the-.air .a short distance, thus simulating a chip shot for carrying theball over objects. For putting or short shots, the club tip issufficiently spaced from the ball that the driving 'head barely touchesthe ball with a very light impact. .A close control of the shot ispossible in this manner. Alternatively, some players for some of theirshort shots .prefer to leave the sliding head l6 down against the floorbutton M at the bottom of shaft l0, and use the club by laterallyswinging it just as an ordinary putter.

Although the invention has been described hereinabove in its embodimentnow preferred by me, it is contemplated that variations therefrom may bemade with equivalent effects or in some cases different specific effectsBy way of nonlimiting examples may be mentioned the use of a shaft withnon-circular cross-section, i. e. an ellipse, triangle, rectangle,hexagon, etc. A plurality of shafts can also be used, though lesspreferably, with suitable modification of the sliding head to provideholes or slots or other means for insuring slidable engagement with theshafts. Thus a striking ball could be used within a runway of threeequally spaced parallel rods. A hollow vertical tube having alongitudinal slot for most of its length can act as a shaft, with thesliding element sliding within the tube but having a striking headportion extending through the slot. A circular shaft as shown in thedrawing can be spirally grooved over part of its length to an extentwhich will not slow the downward travel of the driving head toomuch, andthe resulting circular component of the head motion will introduce anadditional factor into the game; preferably only the upper half of theshaft would be thus formed as a spiral, with a smooth lower half. Ofcourse the sliding head would be internally rifled to correspond to thespiral on the shaft. The sliding driving head may have two or morebottom faces of different curvatures, such as one relatively flat nearlyhorizontal face and another face sharply curved upward so as to be morevertical than horizontal; with this embodiment the head is preferablyprevented from rotating on the shaft, as by use of a non-circular shaft.These and other modifications are comprehended as part of my inventionin its broader scope.

I claim:

1. In a ball game, a smooth cylindrical shaft of such length that onplacing one end thereof on the floor a standing .person can comfortablyhold the other end, a stop on said one end, a handle on said other end,an annular striking ring symmetrical with respect to its axis having ahemispherical lower surface and a smooth hole through the center slidingfreely on said shaft between said handle and said stop, said stop beingsufiiciently large to stop the fall of said sliding ring at the bottomof said shaft but sufficiently small to allow the bottom end of saidshaft to be placed close enough to a ball on the floor that the ballwill be moved by impact of said striking ring when the latter is allowedto fall down the shaft by gravity.

2. A club for use in a simulated golf game which comprises a shaft, ahandle on the upper end of said shaft having a bottom larger than 6 andextending beyond said shaft, a :stop :on the lower end of said shaft forplacing on the floor or ground near a ball to be struck, :a :strikingelement mounted on said shaft for free sliding motion thereon between'said handle :and :said stop, a convexly curved lower impact surface :onsaid striking element for striking the ball when the striking element isdropped, :and an upper portion of :s-a'id striking element having attopof the same size and configuration :as said bottom "of the handle forregistering therewith, whereby the :player can hold the striking element:in the up position against the handle with .a single "finger acrossboth the bottom of the handle and the top of the striking element foreasy release of the latter.

3. A club according to claim 2 wherein said shaft is a cylinder, saidhandle is an elongated cylinder of larger diameter than said shaft andaxially positioned on said shaft, said striking element is an annularring symmetrical with respect to its axis and axially mounted on saidshaft, and said lower impact surface is essentially hemispherical.

4. A club according to claim 3 wherein said stop is a short cylinder oflarger diameter than said shaft and axially positioned on said shaft.

5. A club for use in a simulated golf game which comprises a smoothcylindrica1 wooden shaft having a diameter in the neighborhood of inch,a cylindrical wooden handle of larger diameter and of length suitablefor grasping by the hand and having an axial hole in one end thereofinto which one end of said shaft is socured, a short cylindrica1 woodenfloor button or stop of larger diameter than said shaft having an axialhole therein into which the other end of said shaft is secured, thetotal height of said club being in the neighborhood of three feet, awooden annular striking element having a diameter in the neighborhood oftwo inches and having a smooth axial hole of diameter slightly largerthan said shaft and freely sliding on said shaft between said handle andsaid floor button without wobble, said striking element being composedof a lower essentially hemispherical half symmetrical about the axiscomprising a striking face for impact with a ball when said element isallowed to slide down said shaft and an upper half of a configurationsuitable for convenient holding against the handle in the up positionand release therefrom, the bottom of said lower hemispherical half beingcut plane perpendicular to the axis for resting on the top of said floorbutton in the down position.

6. A game device comprising a shaft for positioning near a ball to beprojected, a striking ring slidably mounted on said shaft and having aconvex lower striking surface, a handle on one end of said shaft, a stopmember for said ring on the other end of said shaft so located that whenthe stop end of said shaft is placed beside said ball on a surface andsaid striking ring is allowed to slide downward on said shaft to saidstop, said ball is struck by said ring and a lateral motion therebyimparted to said ball.

'7. A- game according to claim 6 wherein said striking ring has at leasttwo differently shaped lower striking surfaces.

8. In a ball game wherein a ball is to be projected, the improvementcomprising a striking element for moving said ball on, impact therewith,and an elongated member slidably engaged by said striking element insuch manner that when the lower end of said elongated member is placedon a surface adjacent said ball resting on said surface and saidstriking element allowed to slide down the said member by gravity theball is struck by said element and thereby moved away from the strikingelement and elongated member.

9. A game device comprising a shaft, a striking element slidably engagedwith said shaft and having a convex lower striking surface, a stopmember for said striking element attached to one end of said shaft ofsuch size and so located that when the stop end of said shaft is restedon a surface beside a ball having a diameter in the neighborhood of 1%;inches and said striking element is allowed to slide down said shaft tosaid 8 stop said ball is struck by said element and a lateral motionthereby imparted to said ball.

GORDON H. SEVERIN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 10 Number Name Date 1,958,358 Badgerow May 8, 19342,219,898 Hooker Oct. 29, 1940 2,401,195 Schutte May 28, 1946 2,463,909Ruch Mar. 8, 1949

